Korean Air's refund policy being abused by 'Sasaeng' fans
Fans of South Korean boy band Wanna One made a commotion on a Korean Air flight. Yonhap
By Lee Min-young
By Lee Min-young
The shocking incident last week where three K-pop fans ― Sasaeng fans, rather, which is a term for fans of more obsessive traits ― who delayed a Korean Air flight by demanding refunds on board raised questions about the air carrier's refund policy.
On Saturday, three fans of South Korean boy band Wanna One ― two Chinese and one from Hong Kong ― made a scene on a Seoul-bound Korean Air flight at Hong Kong International Airport by demanding that flight attendants let them get off just minutes before take-off.
After the trio disturbed other passengers while rushing towards the idol group leaving on the same flight, the three tried to disembark and get refunds.
Because of the trio, 360 people had to disembark to go through security screening again before getting back in, according to aviation law.
Korean Air acceded to the trio's refunds request and also had to pay compensation to the Hong Kong airport for the one-hour flight delay caused by the repeated security check.
A Korean Air official told The Korea Times that such cases were not rare, and airport staff had difficulty dealing with them.
"There are several cases where idol fans deliberately purchase expensive flight tickets that offer better rebate terms and demand a refund,” he said. "However, as far as I know, this is the first time a group actually got on the plane and asked to leave before take-off."
By purchasing those tickets, the fans try to spend time with the idol groups or even take pictures of their favorite K-pop band members up close and sell them online.
Regarding the airline's refund policy, the official said not all passengers were eligible for full refunds when they canceled right before departure. The amount they received depended on the type of fares they purchased.
“There are premium tickets that entitle a full refund even for last-minute cancellations,” he said. “It costs more than 2 million won to buy those first-class tickets. It costs passengers less than 100,000 won including all the no-show penalty and commission fees when they want a refund."
"We are trying to raise refund commission fees as of Jan. 1. We will soon make an official announcement on the changes that will be made to our refund policy." The official added. "We will also try to come up with tough measures against people who abuse our refund policy and cause inconvenience to our customers."